How mamas love their babies

Juniper Fitzgerald

Book - 2018

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Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
New York, NY : Feminist Press at the City University of New York 2018.
Language
English
Main Author
Juniper Fitzgerald (author)
Other Authors
Elise R. Peterson (illustrator)
Edition
First Feminist Press edition
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : illustrations (some color) ; 22 x 27 cm
ISBN
9781936932009
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

First-time author Fitzgerald writes about the work mothers do to care for their children and support them economically-work that is often unseen or ignored. Peterson's smart, sly collages use patterned paper and scrawled-on color accents to embellish vintage b&w photos of women and children. The mothers are black, brown, and white, heavy and skinny, urban and rural; they cook, fly planes, and sell ice cream. Fitzgerald writes simply, but in combination with Peterson's images, her words carry force: "Mamas use their bodies to care for their babies in so many ways," she writes, next to a photograph of a mother nursing a toddler. She also makes a case for the acceptance of women's work that has been censured or subject to taboo. "Some mamas dance all night long in special shoes. It's hard work," she writes, gently introducing a sex worker mother amid images of stiletto heels, the neon signage of an adult entertainment store, and a photograph of a worker on strike, her placard reading, "Unfair to Strippers." It's a political statement, but one that flows from passion and love. Ages 4-8. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 4-This picture book explores the countless ways mothers provide for their children-the domestic labor that is done directly caring for kid's wants and the ways in which moms work in order to financially meet needs. The artfully composed photo collages depict a diverse group of women from pregnancy onward. The setting of each page utilizes a number of media, mostly photographs and drawings, to depict homes, places of employment, and other areas of community. The pictures have a retro feel and will remind adults of the 1970s and previous decades. Careers held by women are explored, including house cleaners, pilots, scuba divers, doctors, and sex workers. This book is revolutionary in its representation of sex workers and its acknowledgment that though some professions look different, they do not determine the level of parenting skills. "Some mamas stay home with their babies all day long. It's hard work.Some mamas dance all night long in special shoes. It's hard work!" This book requires adult/child conversation to address the questions that may arise and would be something that would easily fit into a parenting collection. There are not many books that challenge the idea of stigmatized professions or give a voice to those parents for healthy discussions with children. This book does just that. VERDICT Complex but rewarding, this book is a strong consideration for social emotional learning or parenting collections.-Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

A gorgeous docu-collage of colorized black-and-white photographs shapes a radical vision of racially and economically diverse motherhood. The text riffs on how "mamas use their bodies to care for their babies in so many ways" as images show working women throughout the twentieth century: stay-at-home moms, feminist activists, business executives, house cleaners, and even erotic dancers. The message is powerful but may be more for mamas than babies. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

This third-wave-feminist text is illustrated by photo collages of human mothers loving their children.Bold, black lettering marches across strips of white on the first two pages, proclaiming, "Babies love mamas / and mamas love babies." Sound familiar? Wait until readers learn how mamas express that love. Both text and art dive into areas generally untouched by traditional mother-love picture books; from the beginning, the text emphasizes, in a string of upbeat sentences, the idea that mothers use their bodies to show their love. In support, the art offers a plethora of unsurprising photographs encompassing many activities, professions, and low-wage jobsas well as some startling ones. There's a pregnant woman practicing yogacaring for her baby in uteroa woman unabashedly breast-feeding, and a sign-wielding strip-tease artist outside a nightclub ("some mamas dance all night long in special shoes. It's hard work!"). A colorful gallery is packed onto pages printed on paper stock that's sturdy enough for many toddlers. Throughout the book, the art consists of black-and-white photographsmost, apparently, from the 1960s-'70s era of second-wave, U.S. feminismenhanced with bright colors, patterns, and materials. Mothers of many different ethnicities, walks of life, and lifestyles are shown loving their equally varied children, whether by caring for them at home or by working outside the home to earn money. Vintage-appearing photographs include marchers with the signs "We are the 51% minority" and "We shall overcome."Not for motherless kidsbut otherwise, amazingly inclusive. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.